


Good Enough

by oper_1895



Series: Sex is just a word (Asexual!Neal) [2]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexuality, Community: kink_bingo, D/s, Kink Negotiation, Multi, Situational Humiliation, kinky not-porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-05
Updated: 2010-12-05
Packaged: 2017-10-13 13:02:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/137653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oper_1895/pseuds/oper_1895
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal and Peter start hammering out the details of what they want in this relationship of theirs. Peter needs a bigger hammer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Enough

**Author's Note:**

> For the kink-bingo square Situational Humiliation, in the Asexual!Neal verse. Somewhat of a sequel to [Coming Out](http://oper-1895.dreamwidth.org/2483.html).
> 
> Betas: Many thanks to jumpuphigh and bientot.

When Elizabeth walked in the door, she could almost taste the tension in the air. Neal was sitting with his palms flat on the table, back straight, feet flat on the floor. His eyes were bright as they tracked Peter around the room. Peter was puttering, not really doing anything, but keeping busy. Waiting.

“Hi, Honey.” Peter smiled when he caught sight of her, but held up a warning finger when Neal opened his mouth. That was interesting.

“What’s going on?” Elizabeth asked, depositing her purse on the coffee table and joining them.

“Neal’s learning a new trick.” Neal flushed at Peter‘s reply, but still didn’t say anything.

“Oh?”

Peter‘s mouth quirked up into a smile. “Answering questions directly.” He glanced over to Neal and clarified pointedly. “Answering a very specific question directly.”

“Peter, please.” Neal broke in, his voice was tinged with desperation.

Peter shot a warning glare. Neal shut his mouth, squirmed and turned wide eyes to Elizabeth. He looked miserable, and yet… not. Elizabeth nudged up against Peter’s side and let her eyes flicker to the kitchen when he looked down at her.

“I’m going to say hello to my wife now, you just sit there and think about what you’re going to tell me when I get back.” Peter said before he followed Elizabeth into the kitchen.

“So today’s the day.” Elizabeth said, after claiming a quick kiss hello.

“Today’s the day.” Peter confirmed. “We wrapped up the case this afternoon. It made sense to head home a little early, and it just felt like it was time.”

Elizabeth grinned up at her husband, who matched her smile with a decidedly pleased look of his own. The three of them had addressed their theoretical proclivities and general acceptance levels several times and now it looked like it had finally turned real. “What are the rules?” she asked.

“His palms have to remain flat on the table. If they come off in any way, it‘s over.”

“Oh good.” Elizabeth leaned in against Peter’s chest. She’d been pretty sure that Peter would approach this with the necessary caution, she just hadn’t been sure about Neal. But that would be an easy signal if Neal became agitated enough that it would be necessary. “I was worried that things were a little… intense.”

“We already talked through the basics of what he likes and doesn’t like.” Peter reassured her. “I’ll give you a rundown later.”

Elizabeth nodded. This was mostly their thing, Peter and Neal‘s. While she found it fascinating, she didn‘t want to interfere. Part of their agreement was that she would know what was going on, but she didn’t respond to it in the same visceral way that they did. _Not yet_ said the little voice in the back of her head. “So, what’s this about?”

Peter sighed. “He seems to think ‘whatever makes you happy’ is an appropriate response for anything that doesn‘t involve scene limits. It’s mostly for aftercare but he won’t tell me what he _wants_ ”

“Would it be easier for him to show you maybe?”

“Probably,” Peter admitted, “but he’d be more likely to try to do what he thought I wanted.”

That was true enough; it had taken Neal a while to get around to telling them that he wasn’t really that into sex because what he _was_ into was making them happy. He’d speak up if he disliked something, but would otherwise just go with the flow.

“Besides,” Peter continued, smiling slyly, “that way wouldn’t be nearly as fun.”

“All right then,” Elizabeth laughed, shoving Peter back towards the dining room. “Go get ’em, Tiger.”

Neal was still sitting stiffly when they re-entered. Elizabeth sat down off to the side, watching the interplay between the two men in her life.

Peter leaned in the doorway, folding his arms. “Do you have anything to say?”

Neal’s eyes flickered up to Peter than Elizabeth, then back to the table. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.”

Neal looked to him, wide eyed and wretched. “Can‘t-”

“Ah!” Peter held up a finger, cut Neal off. “I don’t want to hear it. The next thing you say had better be a proper answer.”

Neal shut his mouth, stubbornly silent.

Peter sat down across the table from Neal and just stared at him, settling in with an air that said he was willing to wait as long as he had to. Elizabeth watched as Neal started to squirm under Peter’s direct gaze, looking increasingly uncomfortable. His eyes flickered around the room, looking at anything but Peter. Neal looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world, but his hands hadn‘t budged.

“I want physical contact.” Neal eventually muttered to the table top .

Peter leaned forward and tipped up Neal‘s chin. “Good start, Neal, but it’s all in the details.”

Neal exhaled sharply, focusing somewhere over Peter‘s shoulder. “I like to be held. I want to be touched. I like- on the back of my neck. Or my face. Anywhere, really. Cuddling.” Neal closed his eyes. His cheeks were flushed red, and the tips of his ears were staring to go pink, but his eyes were bright when he opened them again. “I need to know you had- that you liked what I- that I was good.” Neal finished in a rush, then met Peter’s gaze head on, desperately defiant in the wake of his confession.

“There, was that so hard?” Peter smiled and stood. He stepped around the table to grip the back of Neal’s neck, and Elizabeth could see how Neal immediately relaxed into the hold. Using that contact, Peter pulled Neal up and away from the table and into an embrace.

“A little bit, yeah,” Neal admitted. He tucked his face into Peter‘s shoulder, but Elizabeth could see the edges of a smile in his eyes.

“I need you to talk to me about this, Neal. I can make you if that‘s what you need, but you‘ll need to let me know when there‘s something. I can‘t do this if I don’t know you’re going to tell me what you need, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay what?” Peter tugged Neal’s head back by the hair in order to make eye contact.

“I’ll let you know if I need to tell you anything.” Neal recited dutifully.

“Good enough.” Peter released Neal’s head and dropped his hand to rub Neal’s shoulder. “And good job,” he added after a long moment.

Neal snorted and raised a leery eyebrow at Peter, who looked sheepish.

“I‘ll work on that.” Peter said.

Neal grinned and relaxed back into Peter‘s hold, “Good enough.”


End file.
